By a vote of 131 to 6, House Bill 2034 passed Thursday, May 3, after a few amendments were added in the Senate and agreed to by the House members. The bill now goes to Gov. Eric Greitens’ desk. If signed, the bill would become law in August. The bill makes it legal for any person who has received an industrial hemp license to grow, harvest, cultivate and process industrial hemp.

As Missouri legislators on both sides of the political aisle express support for House Bill 2034, states across the United States continue to pass or introduce industrial hemp legislation. Notably, the number of states with some type of hemp program outpaces states with medical marijuana programs. In Idaho, Democrats running in the state’s primary are voicing support for the decriminalization of hemp. Fifth District House Seat B candidate Terry Hardman “is especially fond of hemp’s benefits, which, he said, outweigh the reasons for its illegalization,” according to Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Hemp, Inc. CEO Bruce Perlowin said, “Policy makers across the country are seeing the incredible potential of industrial hemp programs to transform local communities by providing farmers access to a crop that is in high demand and has a variety of uses. Cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil is one of the fastest growing commodities on the market. Already a $100 million industry, the CBD